MUNSTER suffered a rare home URC loss when beaten 13-16 by Vodacom Bulls at a well-populated and mist-shrouded Thomond Park on Easter Saturday.
It is the first lost in any of their 12 home starts of the competition to South African opposition.
Marcell Coetzee and Thaakir Abrahams – in his first start in five months – traded tries.
Johan Goosen and Jack Crowley matched each other on kicking duty and the teams retired level, 10 points apiece, at the interval.
Replacement Keagan Johannes split the posts with a 72nd-minute penalty, which proved to be the only score of the second half.
The outcome drops Munster to seventh in the standings, and they are next in action on Friday at Cardiff.
Munster: Thaakir Abrahams; Seán O’Brien, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell (Rory Scannell ’73), Andrew Smith (Diarmuid Kilgallen ’51); Jack Crowley, Conor Murray (Paddy Patterson ’73); Josh Wycherley, Niall Scannell (Mark Donnelly ’60), Oli Jager (Stephen Archer ’14, Lee Barron ’51); Jean Kleyn (Fineen Wycherley ’66), Tadhg Beirne (C); Tom Ahern (Ruadhán Quinn ’66), Jack O’ Donoghue, Alex Kendellen (’51).
Replacements: Lee Barron, Mark Donnelly, Stephen Archer, Fineen Wycherley, Rory Scannell, Paddy Patterson, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Ruadhán Quinn.
